Athletics of To-Day 1929

The Growth of Modern Athletics I I 300 yards contest at the Old Beaufort House Ground, Fulham, in connection with a Volunteer F"te, but fell when lying third. B fore he was twenty-one he had run 440 yards in 541 secs., 88o yards in 2 mins. 8l secs., and I mile in 4 mins. 58 secs. He was a k en entomologist, and part of hi training consisted of very long coli cting walks in company with a butterfly net. Mr. Rye giv s an illuminating account of the training of that period. In the autumn of I86g he went into lodgings at the King's Head, Roehampton, his training quarters. Thence it was his custom to walk up to Golden Square each day and walk back via the W st London ricket Ground, wh r h stopp d to train, after which he continued his walk to I o hampton. Daily associat s of his in training were the two hinnerys and olb ck. Training over, they partook of half a pint of public house port and an arrowroot biscuit each. The training di t consisted of a large cup of t a and a chop or st ak f r br akfa t, for dinn r th sam food but half a pint of bitt r or old al r inforced with thr pennyworth of gin instead of tea, and the same drink and another chop or steak for supper. Exer ise includ d a run before break£ st with the Barn s agl . In I 64 the amateurs, who had competed at the West Lond n I owing lub and 1\fr. Price's meetings, got together and forn1 the Mincing Lan Athl tic lub. The first athletic port tnc ting th y promot d took pl c on Aprilgth, I864, at rompton, but it xcit d littl or no public int r st, although th p ers paid a g od d al f attention to the next meeting f May 21st,, h n W. 1\1. hinn ry won the mile race. During that y ar the lub acquir d its first two challenge cup , th one for the IO mil s Walk and the oth r for a 220 yards print. In r gard to th s pr sentations, it is a curious fact that th IO miles Walk has nev r figur d in the English hampi n hip programm , whil the Furlong was not raised to cham ionship status until I902. W c m now to they ar I864, which must ever be regarded as th most important in the annals of English athletic history. In I 63 th r had b n abortiv attempts to arrange an